A wireless communication network includes a plurality of Access Service Network Gateway (ASN-GWs). The plurality ASN-GWs controls a plurality of Base Stations (BSs). One or more BSs communicate with an associated ASN-GW of the plurality of ASN-GWs to access a plurality of services. The plurality of services may include, but are not limited to, video distribution, vehicle tracking, e-learning, file sharing, web browsing, and weather monitoring. An ASN-GW communicates the plurality of services to one or more BSs associated with the ASN-GW as one or more data packets. The one or more data packets are classified into a plurality of data service flows. Each data service flow is assigned a Service Flow ID (SFID) by the ASN-GW. A SFID assigns a service flow of packets to a MS and a BS. In a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) communication network, the SFID is a 32 bit value. After receiving the one or more data packets from the ASN-GW, each BS of the one or more BSs communicates the one or more data packets to a corresponding MS of a set of MSs assigned to each BS. In order to communicate the one or more data packets to the corresponding MS, a BS assigns a Connection Identifiers (CIDs) to each MS in the set of MSs communicating with the BS. A CID identifies a connection between a BS and a MS. In the WiMAX communication network, the CID is a 16 bit value. Thereafter, the one or more data packets are communicated to the corresponding MS by the BS by mapping the SFID of the data service flows to the CID assigned to the MS.
In a wireless communication network, a MS may be handovered from a source BS to a target BS. During handover, a first CID assigned to the MS by the source BS may be similar to a second CID assigned to a second MS by the target BS. This conflict occurs as a total number of CIDs present in the wireless communication system is less than a total number of SFIDs present in the wireless communication system. Additionally, a plurality of CIDs is assigned to one or more MSs locally by the one or more BS. Therefore, there is an increased possibility that a CID may be assigned to multiple MSs in the wireless communication network.
There is therefore a need of a method and apparatus for managing CIDs in the wireless communication network such that the conflict during handover of a MS from a source BS to a target BS can be avoided.
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